2016 Ford Explorer
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Structure is the leading concern among 2,452 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 26 Explorer model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 39 involved a crash and 14 involved a fire. 59 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Structure, bodyJul 14, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The roof rail covers may come loose and detach from the vehicle.
A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the roof rail covers and as necessary, repair or replace the push-pins, rail clips, or roof rail covers, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 28, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S54. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 21V316. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 16, 2026.
Campaign 26V448000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, electrical, engine block heaterOct 10, 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
Campaign 25V685000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, bodyMay 23, 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Explorer vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving.
Door trim that detaches while driving can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will repair the B-pillar trim, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 5, 2025. A second notice will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated November 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S53.
Campaign 25V347000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, body, roof and pillarsJan 19, 2024
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles. The A-pillar trim retention clips may not be properly engaged, allowing the trim to detach.
A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and replace the A-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years. Owner notification letters were mailed between July 18, 2024 and December 16, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S02.
Campaign 24V031000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearJul 15, 2021
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Exposure to road salt can cause the cross-axis ball joint to corrode and seize, resulting in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.
A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle, and replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall numbers 16V-245, 19V-435, and 20V-675. Certain vehicles previously repaired will need to return for the new remedy. An interim notification letter notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on September 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2022. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S32.
Campaign 21V537000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, bodyMay 5, 2021
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The retention pins could loosen and allow the roof rail covers to detach from the vehicle.
A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will install push-pins and replace any damaged rail clips and roof rail covers, as necessary, free of charge. The interim owner notification letter was mailed on June 22, 2021. Owner notification letters (remedy available) were mailed on October 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S22.
Campaign 21V316000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearMar 12, 2021
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin that were previously repaired under a prior recall numbers 16V-245 or 19V-435. The outboard section of a rear suspension toe link may fracture.
A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle attached to the rear suspension toe link and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S62.
Campaign 20V675000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, axle assembly, axle shaftNov 10, 2020
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Explorer, 2014-2015 Taurus and 2014 Edge vehicles equipped with 2.0L or 2.3L engines and front wheel drive. The support bracket for the front drive axle halfshaft may fail.
The failed bracket could result in a loss of park function which can cause unintended vehicle movement, and loss of motive power while driving which increases the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the link shaft bracket, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. Owners received an interim notification detailing safety risk December 8, 2020. A second letter will be mailed when parts become available in January 2021. The recall began February 2, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S63.
Campaign 20V692000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearJun 10, 2019
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, and inspect both rear toe link ball joints, replacing the rear wheel knuckle(s), if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S17.
Campaign 19V435000 on NHTSA.gov
SeatsNov 29, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016 F-150 and Explorer vehicles. Loose power seat adjuster pivot bolts may cause the front seat cushions to detach and not properly restrain the seat occupant in the event of a crash.
In the event of a crash, a seat occupant that is not properly restrained has an increased risk of injury.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tightness of the power seat track upper pivot link bolt, either applying threadlocker or replacing the lift link and hardware, free of charge. Interim letters are expected to go out January 15, 2018. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S40.
Campaign 17V767000 on NHTSA.gov
Wheels, hubAug 28, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain Wheel Hub Bearing assemblies, part number HB5Z-1104-C, incorrectly listed as being for installation on the rear axles of 2011-2017 Ford Explorer 4X2 vehicles. These bearings assemblies were manufactured without a self retention feature, possibly resulting in the separation of the wheel or wheel end.
A loss of the wheel or wheel end can increase the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify the distributors of the hubs specifying that they are to only be used on drive axles. It is believed that none of the hubs were purchased from Ford dealers for the incorrect application. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Campaign 17E048000 on NHTSA.gov
Seats, front assembly, reclinerJun 28, 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Explorer and F-150 vehicles equipped with a manual recline driver's seat. The seat back frame may have insufficient welds which may not meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."
The seat back may not adequately restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the seat back frame, free of charge. The recall begin on August 18, 2016. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 16C11.
Campaign 16V475000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engineMar 31, 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Lincoln MKC vehicles manufactured November 25, 2013, to January 25, 2016, and 2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured October 20, 2014, to January 28, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with 2.3L GTDI engines and engine block heaters. These engine block heaters have elements that may overheat while plugged in.
Overheating of the engine block increase the risk of a fire.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine block heater, free of charge. Dealers will also inspect and replace the electrical cord, as necessary. The recall began on May 18, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S14. Note: Owners should not use the engine block heater until the vehicle has been remedied.
Campaign 16V183000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, storage, tank assembly, mountingSep 28, 2015
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Taurus, Lincoln MKS, and 2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured on July 24, 2015. During vehicle production, the fuel tank attachment bolts may not have been properly tightened. As a result, the fuel tank straps may fracture and the fuel tank could separate from the vehicle.
If the fuel tank separates from the vehicle, a fuel leak may occur, increasing the risk of a fire.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the fuel tank attachment bolts, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S26.
Campaign 15V605000 on NHTSA.gov
Parking brakeJul 24, 2015
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015, Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 21, 2015, and 2015-2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015. The affected vehicles have a parking brake that may not fully engage when applied. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
If the parking brake does not fully engage and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while on a slope, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will test the operation of the parking brake system, and if necessary, replace the parking brake control assembly, free of charge. The recall began on September 4, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C07.
Campaign 15V464000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: steering
529 reports, newest first. Show all
Steering, Service brakes, Air, Engine, Mar 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel was making an abnormal grinding sound. The ABS, air bags, and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the parts were not available to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 14,000.
Steering, Feb 28, 2024
Grinding banging noise when turning steering wheel driving and parked. Milage had just reached 100,000 . Contacted Ford for inspection was told my steering gear needed replaced, car not drivable. Cost almost 3000.00 to repair. At the time there was already a recall on my model for this issue but my VIN didn't match and they would not repair it cost free.
Steering, Wheels, Feb 20, 2024
The rack and pinion steering has gone bad. This is causing the vehicle to be hard to drive as it is very difficult to turn the wheel and control the vehicle. This is making it dangerous to drive as you are unable to turn the wheel very well.
Steering, Feb 20, 2024
My steering wheel completely locked up and we couldn't turn it or anything. After repetitively trying to move it the steering wheel finally came loose. I was able to take it to a mechanic and he said its the steering rack but since it completely locked up and was unable to move the steering wheel I needed to contact you. Ford does have a recall for the steering rack but it does not include my year of Explorer.
Steering, Feb 14, 2024
went to drive my vehicle and when i turned exiting my driveway , my steering was stiff, hard to turn. shutting off vehicle and restarting sometimes helps, but now it is always no power assist. No warning lights, messages or check engine lights at all. just lost power assist. I figure it is another rack n pinion steering assy by all i read online. This should deffinately be a recall. 2011-2013 had the same issue and was issued a recall. Why is this not? it is so dangerous. Get on the ball and do something. 2016 explorer xlt
Steering, Feb 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The service stability track, traction control, and the loss of power steering warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that he used physical strength to steer the vehicle after the power steering assist failure to the residence. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the angle sensor was defective and there was a loss of communication. The contact was informed that due to the failure and the loss of communication, the power steering assist, hill assist, and traction control features were disabled. The vehicle was not repaired due to a needed part being on backorder since November 2023. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Jan 24, 2024
I am writing to you as I just read an article about my Explorer being recalled for a different issue, pieces of trim flying off (which happened to us several years ago). I took to the dealership then, they replaced and it immediately cracked again. They were blaming my door as being off and causing the damage. I took to a repair shop (non-Ford) to look at and they told me that they had seen this alot and Ford knew there was a problem and it wasn't my door. It made me extremely upset as it almost caused an accident while we were on the freeway. This complaint is for a completely different safety issue and is recent. I am mentioning the above incident as my car this time was taken to a different repair shop. Their response was very similar to the above repair shop that Ford knows there is a problem as the part is on a national backorder. After a recent snowstorm, my husband went to drive his car to work. The storm had passed, but roads were still dangerous. As he was pulling out of the garage, multiple alarms showed up on the dashboard. "Hill Start Assist Not Available", Service AdvanceTrac, "Steering Assist Fault Service Required". He didn't fully know what any of these meant and had just driven the car the day before with no issues. As soon as he pulled out on the roads, he realized the power steering was out. He is lucky that he didn't crash as the roads were still icy and snow covered. Up until these alarms, there was NO warning. What if it happened while in the middle of driving? I drive that car every day w my kids and my husband took it that Sunday as it is better in snow. I can't even imagine what would have happened if I was driving as there is NO WAY I could have steered that car. Somehow we got the last replacement part (repair was over $3000!) and I only have 68,000 miles on my car. How can a part that is on an older Ford be on national backorder if there isn't a major problem! The rack and pinion w computer module was replaced.
Steering, Jan 19, 2024
Complete failure of steering rack, causing the car to be completely undriveable. Poses a massive safety risk which could have resulted in injury or death had it occured at the wrong time or place.
Steering, Jan 15, 2024
Grinding/knocking noise when driving and turning front wheel either right or left. Was told need new steering gear. Only 115K miles on car. NUMEROUS complaints online from other 2016 Ford Explorer owners with SAME issue. This is a safety issue as the car is not safe to drive, yet this is my only means of transportation. No warning lights. Verified problem with Ford dealership - but part is NOT available. Now what?! THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL FROM FORD.
Steering, Jan 1, 2024
The electronic steering went out while driving making stearing very difficult and dangerous. I found out this is an issue that many ha e had and they have not recalled this dangerous part.
Steering, Dec 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH and turning to the right following a bend in the highway, the contact attempted to turn the steering wheel back to center and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the steering functionality returned. The contact stated that the steering assist failed again, and the vehicle was parked at the residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed but was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 184,000.
Steering, Dec 6, 2023
2016 Ford Explorer at 81,000 miles the steering rack is considered bad. Prior to getting this checked by the dealer there were major steering issues with the vehicle that suddenly would not work. My wife and daughter were in the car at the time of the incident and had to pull over to avoid major collison. The steering went to manual. No error codes or error message prior to this. Just happened out of no where. The ford dealership determined it's was the steering rack that nees to be replaced. Confirmed by dealer.
Steering, Suspension, Wheels, Nov 25, 2023
I [XXX] went with my mom [XXX] to buy a vehicle off of [XXX] . It was a 2016 ford explorer. I payed 13,000. The began to lose control when driving on a bumpy road and while braking I took the car to a Ford dealer and had some repairs, but they didn’t find the problem. I used the car sparingly and within two weeks it got much worse. Very unsafe to drive I brought it to another Ford dealership and I paid for substantial repairs for the suspension. The first time I drove it on a bumpy the car lost control again. I managed to regain control and drive it to the side of the road and had someone pick up the car. I went to trade the car in and learned the vehicle had been in two accidents and was reported as a total loss. Per the Carfax report. We were never told it was a salvaged vehicle or we would never purchased it for our family vehicle. The vehicle is too unsafe to put back on the road. I bought a 2017 Ford Explorer at a dealership and traded in the 2016 Ford Explorer at a significant loss. The vehicle was in my possession for approx. two months where it spent most of the time in different Ford repaid shops INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering, Nov 9, 2023
The steering rack failed while operating the vehicle at approximately 40 mph resulting in a near total loss of steering. It required extreme force to turn the steering wheel to avoid oncoming traffic on a bend in the road before finally moving out of the roadway. The warning message displayed at the time of the fault was "Steering Assist Fault Service Required." The component had to be replaced when it was evaluated by the Ford dealer
Steering, Oct 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was pulled over on the side of the road, the steering wheel became firm. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the electronic steering unit was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the vehicle was not under warranty. The failure mileage 30,476.
Steering, Oct 19, 2023
The vehicle starting making a clunking noise while doing turns. While making a right hand turn, the steering wheel stuck and I had to yank it back (left) which caused a loud popping noise. Took it straight to the auto shop and next day was notified it was the steering rack and pinion.
Steering, Service brakes, Sep 23, 2023
Tires damaged due to a rear toe link not having proper alignment adjustments. I was told to buy aftermarket products because the two ASE certified shops could not align my rear suspension. I've chewed through two pairs of brand new tires in less than 4 months.
Steering, Sep 12, 2023
Steering locks up at high way speeds, cannot turn wheel on any direction. I have had a close call to a head on collision on the road way because I could not turn my wheel. Previous years of this model and have the reported issues, multiple online threads of this same model or newer with this issue also. I pay monthly for a car I can’t safely drive, it will get me or someone else killed. It’s a $3000+ repair and ford refused any financial assistance for something they know is a common issue! This car is going to kill someone!!!!
Steering, Sep 6, 2023
The steering began making a rubbing noise for a day and the next day the rack and pinion steering completely froze up, not able to turn steering wheel at all. The vehicle was in my driveway when the steering froze so there was no accident however this could have been fatal had this happened on a street or highway, there would have been no way to avoid another vehicle or object. My vehicle was towed to C&C Auto who replaced the steering unit with an original Ford part.
Steering, Aug 27, 2023
I own a 2016 Ford Explorer Sport and I issued Power steering failure. I live in West Virginia with many hills and turns, I get an error on the dashboard that says Steering Fault and immediately lose my Power Steering, if my wife would’ve been driving we would have certainly wrecked cause she would not had been able to steer the Explorer, without the power steering working correctly it took alot of strength to Steer the vehicle. This is a very dangerous issue and i have seen many complaints and concerns with the power steering issue. I hope you all can help and get Ford to recall this and get this problem fixed before people get killed, thanks.
Steering, Suspension, Seat belts, Aug 21, 2023
#1-My rear passenger seatbelt is being cut by some thing down inside of the back seat where the belt is retrieved. This belt is getting more cuts as it is being used since that is where my Grandson now sits. It was not used prior to me having to pickup my Grandson. This is very concerning !!! #2 My drivers side front windshield weather stripping keep popping out and is now blown off, very scary. #3 Just last week I started to hear some popping noise in the front suspension, but could not tell what it was coming from. Just yesterday while making a right hand turn the front suspension and the steering locked up. I was able to turn it back straight after a few seconds as the steering wheel had locked to the right. Praise God there were 3 lanes and I was able to make the correction with out incident.
Steering, Aug 21, 2023
While driving the system made a minimal rubbing/grinding noise when turning. But when you made a turn, either to the right or the left and finished the turn, the steering wheel and wheels do not return to straight as they normally do, and continue in the direction you started without change. The only way to make the vehicle stop turning is to manually return the steering wheel to straight ahead. This could be a problem as you would quickly either move into oncoming traffic or off of the roadway depending on the road. The problem is currently at my independent mechanic and they can reproduce the problem there. There were zero warning lights/lamps/messages or anything else prior to this issue. This all began about one week ago, but was not able to get a mechanic to look at it until today, 8/21/2023. I already checked ahead of making this report and Ford has zero outstanding recalls on this, but if you look at online forums, including Reddit, there are a noticeable number of identical incidences of this happening. Link to one I found [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering, Aug 18, 2023
The Electronic Power Assist (EPAS) appears to be sporadically not working. It has not functioned while in the middle of a. turn both while my wife has been driving and also occured with me twice today. When the power assist suddenly cuts out it has the feeling of the steering locking up and can be quite dangerous as it is typically in a turning situation.
Steering, Aug 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a grinding sound coming from the steering wheel while turning in either direction. The steering wheel became difficult to turn and excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that the Steering Assist Fault Service Required message displayed. As the failure worsened, the contact lost steering capability of the vehicle and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with a defective power steering rack. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Steering, Aug 17, 2023
May 13 2023 Bought my car at Criswell Auto in Thurmont, MD July 15 2023 Lost steering coming around a turn and was able to pull into a driveway. Thankfully it was clear. Jul 21 2023 I took it to Ford for the recall which I was hoping would fix it Aug 8 2023 Steering assist failed again and I had my 3 year old with me in the car. It was really scary because we were on our towns main road and I had to just go into a restaurant parking lot. Thank goodness no one was there or I would have hit them. I couldn't move my steering wheel at all. When it fails these warning and lights show up and make a lot of noise and steering is totally gone Service AdvanceTrac Hill Start Assist Not Available Stability Control Stability Control off Aug 15 I took my car to Ford dealership in Hagerstown MD They called and advised it was the Steering Gear Assembly and would cost 2100.00 Aug 15 Spoke with Ford to see if they could possibly help me with some of the costs with it being a safety issue. They told me there was absolutely nothing they could do. Case Number: [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).